Theme: None
Total words: 66
Total blocks: 35
The empty grid is cornered like a picture frame, very pretty design. Tragically, I ruined the whole puzzle. My finished grid looks like the Hindenburg crashing into the Titanic. Total disaster.
The three odd-numbered stacks of entertainment clue/entries atop the puzzle challenged me immensely. The lower NAKED AS A JAYBIRD (46. Without anything on) is a just fantastic fill. I wonder where the saying comes from, Al?
Tricky clues abound. My favorite is EX-CON (16. Record holder?). Fell to the trap of thinking about the normal contest record rather than the intended criminal record.
Are you surprised that the constructor is a teenager from Canada?
Across:
1. "The West Wing" creator: AARON SORKIN. Stumped immediately. Can you handle the truth? Wikipedia says he also wrote "A Few Good Men".
12. 1947 Oscar winner for Best Original Song: ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH. I was clueless. Awesome entry though.
14 1988 Michelle Pfeiffer comedy: MARRIED TO THE MOB. Here is the poster. Looks fun.
17. Battery alternative: FUEL CELL. No idea. Dictionary defines it as "a device that produces a continuous electric current directly from the oxidation of a fuel, as that of hydrogen by oxygen".
18. Neural transmitter: AXON. Your impulse transmitter.
19. Cat murmurs: PURRS. Impulsively penned in MEOWS.
21. Charmer who "walks like a woman and talks like a man, " in a 1970 hit: LOLA. Hit from the The Kinks about a transvestite.
22. John of London: LOO. The toilet "john".
23. Old postal divisions: ZONES
24. Pachelbel work: CANON. Johann Pachelbel was a German composer famous for his "Pachelbel's Canon". Learning moment for me.
25. Oct 1975 NBC debut: SNL
26. Cost to get in on the deal: ANTE. Poker.
27. Cunning: SHREWD
28. First queen of Carthage: DIDO. She founded Carthage. Killed herself when abandoned by the Trojan hero Aeneas. Love is _ ?
29. For whom the bell tolls: THEE. "... for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee". Terrific clue.
30. Catkin bearers: ALDERS
33. Fast-growing pet: CHIA
34. Half of CDX: CCV. 1/410=205.
37. Ad preceder: DEUCE. Tennis score. Ad in/out follows deuce.
38. Frighten: DAUNT
39. Last word of Shelley's "Adonais": ARE. Man, who knows?! The last lines are :"... The soul of Adonais, like a star/Beacons from the abode where the Eternal are". "Adonais" Shelley's elegy for John Keats.
40. Amplify: MIKE. Did not know mike can be a verb.
41. Smart-mouthed: SASSY
42. Silly rabbit's desire, in ads: TRIX
43. Campus figure: ACADEMIC. Did Will's clues strike you as academic?
45. One in a class by herself?: TUTEE. Nice clue too. But why "herself" instead of "himself"?
49. Most buses: SINGLE DECKERS. Lots of double deckers in Guangzhou/Xi'An.
50. '80s NBC medical drama: ST. ELSEWHERE. Have never heard of this drama. What's your favorite Denzel Washington movie?
Down:
1. Use a fan on: AIR-COOL
2. Kitchen protector: APRON
3. Delay cause, maybe: RAIN
4. Dedicated work: ODE. Ah, Lemonade!
5. Neighbor of Homer: NED. Homer Simpson's neighbor.
6. Emancipated: SET FREE. Tricky "set" tense.
7. Sussex scents: ODOURS. British spelling of "odors". Sussex is picked for alliteration purpose.
8. Dull drills: ROTES
9. Cleopatra's eyeliners: KOHL. This stumped many last time it appeared in our puzzle.
10. "My stars!": I DECLARE. Both are quaint cries of surprise, aren't they?
11. "Give me a for-instance": NAME ONE
12. Fighter craft game released by Sega in 1982: ZAXXON. No idea. What does Zaxxon stand for?
13. empty: HOLLOW
14. Board: MEALS. Room and board.
15. Hardly spicy: BLAND
19. Koi habitats: PONDS
20. Golden rule word: UNTO
23. Site of the 1974 fight known as "The Rumble in the Jungle": ZAIRE. Where Ali beat Foreman.
24. Play badly: CHEAT. Wanted EMOTE.
27. Newly polished: SHINY
28. Will writer, at a will reading: DECEDENT. Hmmm, nice "Will" clue, Will, way to go!
29. Consequently: THUS
30. Pro pitcher?: AD MAN. Got me again.
31. Pioneer 35mm cameras: LEICAS
32. Loser to Bush in 1988: DUKAKIS (Michael). Two Ks. This puzzle is quite scrabbly, with two Z's, three Xs. Only one Q away from a pangram.
33. Cataract: CASCADE
34. Bridgestone product: CAR TIRE
35. Old yellers: CRIERS. Who did not think of the the movie "Old Yeller"?
36. In a snit: VEXED
38. Places for roasters and toasters?: DAISES. Nice rhyme.
41. Picayune: SMALL
42. Yam, for one: TUBER. How do you normally prepare your yam?
44. Competitive advantage: EDGE
45. Trike rider: TYKE
47. Saul or Solomon: JEW. Saul is the first king of Israel. Are Jewish people offended by the word Jew? It has a negative tone to my goyish ear.
48. "Oh!" to Ohm: ACH. The best ACH clue I've seen.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Total words: 66
Total blocks: 35
The empty grid is cornered like a picture frame, very pretty design. Tragically, I ruined the whole puzzle. My finished grid looks like the Hindenburg crashing into the Titanic. Total disaster.
The three odd-numbered stacks of entertainment clue/entries atop the puzzle challenged me immensely. The lower NAKED AS A JAYBIRD (46. Without anything on) is a just fantastic fill. I wonder where the saying comes from, Al?
Tricky clues abound. My favorite is EX-CON (16. Record holder?). Fell to the trap of thinking about the normal contest record rather than the intended criminal record.
Are you surprised that the constructor is a teenager from Canada?
Across:
1. "The West Wing" creator: AARON SORKIN. Stumped immediately. Can you handle the truth? Wikipedia says he also wrote "A Few Good Men".
12. 1947 Oscar winner for Best Original Song: ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH. I was clueless. Awesome entry though.
14 1988 Michelle Pfeiffer comedy: MARRIED TO THE MOB. Here is the poster. Looks fun.
17. Battery alternative: FUEL CELL. No idea. Dictionary defines it as "a device that produces a continuous electric current directly from the oxidation of a fuel, as that of hydrogen by oxygen".
18. Neural transmitter: AXON. Your impulse transmitter.
19. Cat murmurs: PURRS. Impulsively penned in MEOWS.
21. Charmer who "walks like a woman and talks like a man, " in a 1970 hit: LOLA. Hit from the The Kinks about a transvestite.
22. John of London: LOO. The toilet "john".
23. Old postal divisions: ZONES
24. Pachelbel work: CANON. Johann Pachelbel was a German composer famous for his "Pachelbel's Canon". Learning moment for me.
25. Oct 1975 NBC debut: SNL
26. Cost to get in on the deal: ANTE. Poker.
27. Cunning: SHREWD
28. First queen of Carthage: DIDO. She founded Carthage. Killed herself when abandoned by the Trojan hero Aeneas. Love is _ ?
29. For whom the bell tolls: THEE. "... for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee". Terrific clue.
30. Catkin bearers: ALDERS
33. Fast-growing pet: CHIA
34. Half of CDX: CCV. 1/410=205.
37. Ad preceder: DEUCE. Tennis score. Ad in/out follows deuce.
38. Frighten: DAUNT
39. Last word of Shelley's "Adonais": ARE. Man, who knows?! The last lines are :"... The soul of Adonais, like a star/Beacons from the abode where the Eternal are". "Adonais" Shelley's elegy for John Keats.
40. Amplify: MIKE. Did not know mike can be a verb.
41. Smart-mouthed: SASSY
42. Silly rabbit's desire, in ads: TRIX
43. Campus figure: ACADEMIC. Did Will's clues strike you as academic?
45. One in a class by herself?: TUTEE. Nice clue too. But why "herself" instead of "himself"?
49. Most buses: SINGLE DECKERS. Lots of double deckers in Guangzhou/Xi'An.
50. '80s NBC medical drama: ST. ELSEWHERE. Have never heard of this drama. What's your favorite Denzel Washington movie?
Down:
1. Use a fan on: AIR-COOL
2. Kitchen protector: APRON
3. Delay cause, maybe: RAIN
4. Dedicated work: ODE. Ah, Lemonade!
5. Neighbor of Homer: NED. Homer Simpson's neighbor.
6. Emancipated: SET FREE. Tricky "set" tense.
7. Sussex scents: ODOURS. British spelling of "odors". Sussex is picked for alliteration purpose.
8. Dull drills: ROTES
9. Cleopatra's eyeliners: KOHL. This stumped many last time it appeared in our puzzle.
10. "My stars!": I DECLARE. Both are quaint cries of surprise, aren't they?
11. "Give me a for-instance": NAME ONE
12. Fighter craft game released by Sega in 1982: ZAXXON. No idea. What does Zaxxon stand for?
13. empty: HOLLOW
14. Board: MEALS. Room and board.
15. Hardly spicy: BLAND
19. Koi habitats: PONDS
20. Golden rule word: UNTO
23. Site of the 1974 fight known as "The Rumble in the Jungle": ZAIRE. Where Ali beat Foreman.
24. Play badly: CHEAT. Wanted EMOTE.
27. Newly polished: SHINY
28. Will writer, at a will reading: DECEDENT. Hmmm, nice "Will" clue, Will, way to go!
29. Consequently: THUS
30. Pro pitcher?: AD MAN. Got me again.
31. Pioneer 35mm cameras: LEICAS
32. Loser to Bush in 1988: DUKAKIS (Michael). Two Ks. This puzzle is quite scrabbly, with two Z's, three Xs. Only one Q away from a pangram.
33. Cataract: CASCADE
34. Bridgestone product: CAR TIRE
35. Old yellers: CRIERS. Who did not think of the the movie "Old Yeller"?
36. In a snit: VEXED
38. Places for roasters and toasters?: DAISES. Nice rhyme.
41. Picayune: SMALL
42. Yam, for one: TUBER. How do you normally prepare your yam?
44. Competitive advantage: EDGE
45. Trike rider: TYKE
47. Saul or Solomon: JEW. Saul is the first king of Israel. Are Jewish people offended by the word Jew? It has a negative tone to my goyish ear.
48. "Oh!" to Ohm: ACH. The best ACH clue I've seen.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Good morning everyone. I've been away for a couple of weeks handling a family emergency, but things are now getting slowly back to normal.
ReplyDeleteToday's puzzle was really tough! All those long entertainment clues were impossible until I filled in the first answer - purrs.
I had no idea about ad / deuce since I don't know anything about tennis. Pro pitcher was another impossible clue, maybe now I'll remember it doesn't always refer to baseball.
Denzel Washington is a favorite of mine. I loved him in Manchurian Candidate and in The Bone Collector, which I recently watched on TV.
We are in for another day of spring weather here, but back to winter next week. Briefly back, I hope.
Gracie
This puzzle more or less hit me in my sweet spot. No French words (woo-hoo!)
ReplyDeleteI had a bit of trouble remembering Mr. Sorkin's first name (Aaron? Adam?) but at least I knew his last name and that was enough to get me going. I also had DECEASED instead of DECEDENT at first, which mucked things up for a little while. Other than that, though, it was pretty much smooth sailing all the way.
The single real sticking point I had was at the very end when I was trying to figure out the intersection of 38A and 38D. I initially had HAUNTS instead of DAUNTS and couldn't think of anything that fit the clue for 38D. Finally, I tried DAUNTS for 38A and got the "tada!" sound. It was only then that I realized that clue "rosaters and toasters" was referring to acts of public speaking that would be performed from a DAIS.
I also had no clue about ZAXXON or KOHL, but the perps took care of them easily enough. And, thank heavens, I remembered that ALDERS have catkins...
I remember watching MARRIED TO THE MOB and ST. ELSEWHERE, so those were gimmes for me after getting a couple of letters. My 5-year-old is all excited about the prospect of riding a double-decker bus when we go on vacation to London next month, so SINGLE-DECKER was also very easy to get.
All-in-all, a fun Saturday puzzle! Easier than expected for me, but again, that's just because it happened to fall squarely within my particular wheelhouse.
Quite easy for a Saturday. Finished in 32 minutes with no problem. The hardest part was just getting started, but then the fills came pretty easily.
ReplyDeleteI found this easy for a Saturday, too, a tad under 13 minutes. Barry and I could be Twin Sons of Different Mothers...
ReplyDeleteFirst I went to the etymology dictionary to find naked, but found that a bit unsatisfying: "Phrase naked as a jaybird (1943) was earlier naked as a robin (1879, in a Shropshire context); the earliest comparative was naked as a needle (late 14c.)" Why a jaybird? The word detectives give two possible explanations:
(1) In 19th century America, jay was slang for a hick, a simpleton, a gullible person. In that case, naked as a jay would refer to a completely vulnerable person, not to a bird.
(2) All perching birds, including jays, are born with hardly any down at all, making them quite helpless.
And we have another vestige of that meaning: to jaywalk. This referred to country bumpkins wandering around gawking at tall buildings and paying no attention to traffic signals.
Catkins. I grew up in a rural area so I've seen them all my life, but I didn't know they were called that...
Good morning. A DAUNTing puzzle today. Finally broke down and looked up AXON, MARRIEDTOTHEMOB, ALDERS, and SHREWD. but was pleased to get the other long fills from the perps. Several clever clues like CRIERS, LOO, and CHIA. Did not like MIKE although an easy fill.
ReplyDeleteOHM - knew of him and the resistance unit named for him since high school, but never focussed on that he might be German in spite of the spelling. ACH!
First day of Spring and my birthday today. A twofer to celebrate.
Good morning, all,
ReplyDeleteOne look at this puzzle convinced me I was dead meat with the three show business clues stacked across the top. They are my achilles heel, so straight I went to the Gspot for 1A and 14A, and had few problems thereafter. There were a lot of clever clues, my favorite being for excon, followed by play badly.
Nice puzzle, Will, and your usual excellent blogging, C.C.
Any bee experts out there? I have a tangerine tree in my back yard, which is in full bloom. There is not a bee to be seen. Normally they would be swarming around the blossoms, but not so this year. As you may know, we had a serious drought here last Summer, and I am concerned that the bees died or went elsewhere. I have read articles in the media reporting the disappearance of bees from other areas. This could be disastrous for all kinds of crops.
Any input, anyone?
Gave up after 2 hrs of floundering. Thanks for teh help.
ReplyDeleteTom
Good puzzle today! Completed the bottom half in a reasonable amount of time but was stuck on the top. Went out to breakfast and it must have helped because I was able to finish the top in 10 minutes after the break. Only the two Xs in Zaxxon had me stumped.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful weather up here in northern VT; going back to more normal early next week though with some snow in the forecast again.
Good morning CC et al., What a fun puzzle! So many twisted clues and mind bending answers. Great stuff! and Mr Nediger is only a teenager? What a future he has! I really enjoyed this one...once I found traction.
ReplyDeleteI knew 12A zipadee...but couldn't spell it, so worked that one backwards. Never heard of 1A Sorkin...well, except when a relative gets in a tiff about something and then it we all 'ante' up and watch them punch the 'dukakis' out of each other. Just thankful I was never 'married to the mob'. That fight would not be a 'small' 'bland'tiff at all but would give 'set free' a whole new dimension and be a 'fuel cell' for a 'st elsewhere' episode. I hate violence and much prefer the more 'shrewd' and 'sassy' 'trix' in retaliation when i get
'vexed'. 'Meals' get scarce, 'car tire's go flat, razor blade
'edge's go dull, 'purrs' turn to silence, laundry goes undone and 'naked as a jay bird' becomes reality. If a truce isn't called at that point, I put w'axon' their body hair and trim their 'chia' pet-like hair growth into faux-hawks leaving the sides very short and the top strip very long... while they're sleeping. Yeah, that's kind of 'cheat'ing, but my 'tutee's learn: do right 'unto' others so mama doesn't 'rain' on 'thee'. It's all good.
Lemonade: if I didn't tell you already, your ode was outstanding. really enjoyed it as did the others.
Crockett; Happy anniversary. I love how you refer to your wife as 'bride'. that is so sweet.
Congratulations. Wish you many more.
Warren: Happy belated birthday. I hope it was spectacular.
Dennis: welcome back. How's the tan?
Melissa: great job blogging. I'm still looking at that 'Adonis'. What a beautiful specimen. thanks.
Fav. Denzel WA: Antwone Fisher which he also directed, I think.
Enjoy your day.
@C.C. The ZAXXON name derivation is kind of dry, but I'll give it a go...
ReplyDeleteIt was the first game to use something called AXONometic Projection, something that M.C. Escher used in a lot of his artwork.
In the game, you played a spaceship, which was seen from your perspective at an angle, to make it appear 3-D, instead of just from the side giving a flat view. This was early in the days of video games, so it was a big deal at the time. The ship could actually go up and down as well, that is, along the Z axis. Remember high school math graphs with an X-axis and a Y-axis? Z is perpendicular to both, as when you have length and width, Z would be height.
So Z + AXON with an extra X thrown in there to make it sound like an evil robot, resulted in "ZAXXON".
Enjoyable saturday puzzle. I was able to solve it in 18 minutes with only one google. I had no idea what KOHL was. And when I looked up the answer I still didn't know what it was. Wikipedia says it is an eyeliner used in the Middle East since ancient Egypt. Lots of clever clues, a fun run.
ReplyDeleteSpitzboov,
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! May your every wish come true this year.
Al,
Thanks for the interesting jay related information. Have never thought of the origin of jaywalk before.
Gracie and Lois,
Great to see both of you back.
Frank,
No idea. But I am worried because I love honey. Maybe Melissa knows where the bees are.
tfrank, honeybees are disappearing all over the globe, posing a serious threat to our food supply. it's called ccd, or colony collapse disorder. beekeepers have reported 30%-90% of their colonies are gone. the cause is unclear, but likely related to mono-culture farming and heavy chemical use (including genetically modified crops with pestides 'built-in'). it's also common for beekeepers to move their hives across the country and around the world to help farmers pollinate crops, which interrupts their diet and exposes them to more chemicals and diseases.
ReplyDeleteit's very scary, and could affect billions of dollars of agricultural products, causing food prices to rise. it's pretty hard to outsmart nature. good reasons to buy local honey, and eat organic.
Good morning CC and all,
ReplyDeleteAnother fun puzzle! As soon as I saw the long words, I worked down 1st, and almost all fell in easily.The hardest one was single deckers, as leicas looked like a foreign word.
I went to the G spot for catkin bearers. I only knew Pussy Willows, but thanks to Al, I see even my birch trees have catkins(very messy).Also found a much too lengthy list to locate Zaxxon. Lastly, I had to look up"The Rumble in the Jungle" site.
For me, only 3 on a Sat. puzzle, not bad.Thanks CC for explaining so many things.
Happy Birthday Spitzboov! Hope your 1st spring day is as lovely as ours.
Lois, loved your post! You just keep us all laughing.
tfrank, there was an article in the Mercury News last week about obtaining a license to keep bees in neighborhoods(over on the coast). It implied that the numbers are again growing in our area.
Gotta run...Truman just arrived..fun!
Good Afternoon CC and All,
ReplyDeleteI started to get some footing on the bottom half with St Elsewhere, Naked as a Jaybird and Single Decker. Then I imploded. Finished up with red letter help in the NE due to Meals. I didn't get the relationship with Board until I read CC's write up. (Ach)
Happy Birthday Spitzboov and many more. Cheers!
Sunny and near 70 here. I'm in shorts despite my neon white legs. We're heading to the State Jazz Festival. I wish it was raining but I'm excited to see how our band does.
Have a wonderful day!
Good afternoon, everyone.
ReplyDeleteBoy, I was skunked on this one. But I love your conversation with the constructor, C.C. The only ones I was sure of were PURRS, THEE, SASSY, PONDS, UNTO, EDGE, and TYKE. Not much to go on.
Happy Birthday, Spitsboov. I hope it is truly spring up where you live.
Cheers
Hi c.c. and all:
ReplyDeletec.c.: nice writeup as usual!
Unknowns were Alders, Zaxxon, Cascade and Deuce.
Favorite clues: Board, Record Holder?, Old Yellers and Pro Pitcher? And, yes c.c. I thought of the dog Old Yeller. Another problem I had was that I had deceased instead of decendent for a while, but finally changed it.
Spitzboov: Happy Birthday to you!
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Good Morning All, I had to work from right to left today and I still had a couple of blank spots at the end of the trail.
ReplyDeleteThe cross of ZAXXON with EX-C0N and AXON was too much for me. EX-CON as a "record holder" didn't dawn until I came here. The other two were both unknowns to me.
When I saw 35D "Old yellers", I didn't think of the movie dog. I thought of our own irrepressible curmudgeons Buckeye and Windhover.
Liked seeing KOHL after yesterday's discussions.
Loved the long stacks at the top and bottom of the puzzle. They were all different, challenging and fun to complete.
"Are Jewish people offended by the word Jew? It has a negative tone to my goyish ear." Tragically, the word JEW has been spoken with such rabid anti-Semitism throughout history that many people fear it is offensive to Jews themselves. It is not an epithet. It is a valid word describing an adherent of Judaism. How am I qualified to answer this question? I'm not a Jew according to halakhic rules because my mother was not Jewish, although my father was. I listened to a lot of conversations at my aunts' and uncles' homes, so I know what they thought about this subject.
Denzel Washington movie? In Training Day, so charming, so corrupt, he was the cop I loved to hate!
Happy B-Day, Spitzboov and Belated Happy Anniversary to Crockett and Bride.
Northern California seems to be doing OK bee-wise. Our rosemary bushes are teeming with the little buzzers.
Good day, C.C. and eveyone! it's still morning here. . .
ReplyDeleteWhat a good xwd for today. I instantly knew Aaron Sorkin because I loved "The West Wind" on TV. When he left, it sputtered.
The other two just worked themselves out because of perps. I read many novels set in the Middle east, most recently, Delilah, and kohl is prominently mentioned; it was a popular eyeliner.
Will provided some really good clues:
john of London: loo
old yellers: criers, yes, I recalled the movie.
one in a class by herself: tutee. I supppose it could be him or her, all in the interest of PC.
I didn't like "mike" as a verb; why not "amplifier"?
Barry G and I seem to have the same kind of foibles, 38D, yes, caused me problems.
Happy birthday, Spitzboov, and many, many more!
Lois:
What a clever blog. you are talented!
Have a wonderful Saturdy, everyone.
Hi C.C. and everyone -
ReplyDeleteI am in Tfrank's corner this morning!
All the movie/show biz stuff is always baffling to me. I am in awe that a teenager did this clever puzzle, good for you Will!!
Happy Birthday Spitzboov...lovely day to call your own. My hubby's is tomorrow.
Lois, welcome back - you didn't lose any of your wicked wit while you were on vacation. You were very much missed. Sure hope you enjoyed yourself and had many memorable times.
Crockett, hope you have another 23 years with your bride!!
Hello all.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the puzzle was ok
although difficult in places. Wish
that cruciverb.com would get fixed.
Didn't think Cleo used cabbage for
eye liner.
A lot of bees in back yard now that fruit trees are a bloom.
Nothing new on the falcon cam. Clara still sitting and Esteban
still daring the birdie in the window to move.
Am totally confused about about which movie mother, sister and I were wathing on Aug.14,1945. Thought it was "Song of the South".
eddyB
eddyB:
ReplyDeleteI believe you might be confusing col or kale which mean cabbage.
According to the online dictionary, kohl is a substance made by grinding galena into powder and has been used in the Middle East for many centuries. It was even once used on newborn babies because it was considered to ward off the "evil eye" which is a deep seated belief in the area.
@Lucina, if you follow that just a little further, and look up Galena, you will discover that it is lead sulfide ore. And they put that on their faces... Lends a whole new meaning to the term "lead paint".
ReplyDeleteZipadeedoodah was sung by Uncle Remus in "Song of the South," one of the first films to combine animated cartoons with live actors. The three cartoon sequences with Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear were hilarious. I guess Disney took it out of circulation in an effort to be politically correct.
ReplyDelete29. For whom the bell tolls: is my favourite song by Metallica
ReplyDeleteMETALLICA
38 A frighten I wanted SCARE
Song of the south was worst movie ever made and the original print should be destroyed! Shame on the academy for nominating such garbage.
"Are Jewish people offended by the word Jew? It has a negative tone to my goyish ear."
ReplyDeleteLoved this comment! I am Jewish and was not at all offended but appreciate the sensitivity. I've been doing the daily puzzle, for years, but never read these comments until today - what a nice bunch of people you are - very bright and kind to each other. BTW - Happy Birthday, Spitzboov!
Hello All--My first thought was, "I would never even get started on this puzzle". With the first three entries all movie or TV oriented, I slogged away at the bottom half and then went to Google to get the top half in place.
ReplyDeleteA very clever young man to have had all the oldies in his puzzle, to stump some of us "Oldies".
Some misleading clues such as Board, Record holder, Old yellers, and Ad preceder were just a few of the ones that gave me some aha moments!
HBTY Spitzboov. Enjoy your day.
Thank you for the great writeup, as usual, C.C.
Lois, Your sense of humor is still going strong. Thank you for the great writeup as well.
Our friends are bee keepers on the East side of our city. They had a problem with their hives and CCD a number of years ago. They introduced wild bees into their hives. For some reason wild swarms seem to be immune to the virus and this has given their hives a new lease on life.
ReplyDeleteAlan is on call to collect wild swarms and goes all over to capture and then bring back the swarms to his ranch and start new bee groups.
They transport their hives (by trailor) to our almond and peach orchards in the central valley and are busy all year round trying to help pollinate those areas which seem to be lacking bees.
Their honey is delicious and I always keep a quart jar on hand for everything from baking to tea and cereals.
eddyB, LOL, I got it about kohlrabi.
ReplyDelete"Aug.14,1945" Talk about a daily diary! You were watching a movie on VJ Day? It wasn't "Song of the South", which was released in November, 1946. I remember it very clearly, considering I was only 4 1/2 years old.
The Academy Award rules must have been different at the time because Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah won Best Song for 1947, even though the movie was released in 1946. 63 years later I can still sing it all the way through. Watch out everybody...."Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder. It's the truth, it's actual. Everything is satisfactual."
RSD, only the score and song were nominated for Academy Awards. It was a very different time. According to Wikipedia (I know, it's Wiki...) "When the film was first released, the NAACP acknowledged "the remarkable artistic merit" of the film, but decried the "impression it gives of an idyllic master-slave relationship." I had no inkling that the storyline was controversial. Some melodrama, but it all works out. For me it was a nice old man telling stories to children, via a mix of live action and cartoons.
"The worst movie ever made"?. In the context of racism, "Gone With the Wind" would have to come out on top. That did win the Oscar for Best Movie and it is on TV every year. (I've never seen "Birth of a Nation", so I can't comment on that one.)
Red State Democrat:
ReplyDeleteRead about the African-Cherokee tales called "Brer Rabbit" or "The Trickster" stories. You might find out you could be misinformed.
"Brer Rabbit`s "trickery" is based on the African proverb, "It`s trouble that makes the monkey chew the hot pepper."
Hi.
ReplyDeleteRSD & Bill G. Disney has recieved so many requests for a re-release,
that they will issue a Blu-Ray version. As a six year old, I didn't knoww that I wasn't supposed to enjoy it.
Lucina. According to the online and the Langenscheidt's that I use,
Kohl(m) means cabbage and kohle(f)
means charcoal.
Happy that the Profile photo is now appearing in the comment section. Was it automatic or did someone do some thing? I was ready to ask for help with the transfer.
Will change the photo on Monday.
Ready to put on shorts and work out side.
eddyB
Had to work hard on this one. Finally I g-spotted: 1A, I had Sorkin but couldn't think of the first name;12A,if I'd just looked at it a bit longer, I'm sure I'd have figured it our from the letters I'd picked up from the perps; and 12D, I'm not into electronic games. After getting those in I was able to struggle through the others. One mistake: I had 'haunt' for 38A, which game me haises for 38D. Again, maybe if I'd stared at it long enough, I'd have got it. A very entertaining puzzle, DAUNTing at first but doable. The first time I've g-spotted since I came on the blog.
ReplyDeleteOops, I've lost my identity again.Should I sign out or not sign out or what? I was doing fine for a while. When I have to do this again I have a bad time with the nasty little 'word' I'm suppose to decipher! Well, here I go:
Dodo, I never sign out as that always causes me to have to refresh my account. It is frustrating, I know. Sometimes my automatic Identity doesn't come up and I have to type in my e-mail and password everytime I comment.
ReplyDeleteAbout three days ago I logged on and wonder of wonders my automatic identity was back. Who knows what kind of elves are working behind the scenes?
@3:13"According to the online and the Langenscheidt's that I use,
ReplyDeleteKohl(m) means cabbage and kohle(f) means charcoal." Knowing that KOHLrabi is a type of cabbage, I thought eddyB's 1:26 comment was a tongue in cheek, play on words kind of thing. Turns out it was a translation from German. Oh well, I guess I didn't get it @2:58 after all.
Dodo, I'm with Chickie. I don't sign out either.
I don't sign out either but I'm guessing I get signed out automatically when I turn my computer off at night. CA and Chickie, do you leave your computers on all night?
ReplyDeleteRSD, I liked the animated parts of Song of the South very much and I'm guessing I still would. Since we're all a product of our environment, I wonder how you might be a different person if you had grown up in Georgia or Alabama? I grew up in northern Virginia in the 40s and 50s. All the gas stations had white and colored drinking fountains and rest rooms. It seemed OK to me at the time because that was the life surrounding me. I changed a lot when I headed off to college at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.
eddyB:
ReplyDeleteI believe we have had this discussion before about kohl and kohle. I assume that the German spelling "kohle" and the English "kohl" and even "coal" are each derivatives from the original Arabic. At any rate that is the language of origin cited in my Webster.
Al:
That is a scary thought, that lead was used so extensively on the skin; even men occasionally used it according to some writings I've seen. I wonder if it did any permanent damage?
Crockett:
It has escaped me to wish you and your bride congratulations on your anniversary. If you are always that sweet, no wonder you have so many years together!
I also failed to mention earlier that "zaxxon" was totally alien to me; had to Ggl it.
Just checking in and thanks again to everyone for all of the birthday wishes. I've never had as many birthday wishes from friends and family (in my life)compared to this group of bloggers...
ReplyDeleteMe and my wife do the Saturday and Sunday puzzles with Saturday me on the PC checking the answers online and Sunday's I print out both the hard copy puzzle and answers on the back.
I was surprised that the author today was only 19 years old, but in hindsight today's puzzle did seem a little easier than last weeks was?
CA, I know what you mean about Song of the South..I remember all the lyrics too. I took my son to see it when he was about 7, and he loved it. I don't see anything wrong about it, but that is probably because it was just part of my childhood. I never thought of 'race' then or later.
ReplyDeleteOregon was (maybe still is) sometimes referred to as the 'South of the West' regarding our treatment of blacks/African Americans (we didn't know or use that term then). I clearly remember the only 'Negros' (which is what we called them)I saw working were running elevators (yes, people actually RAN them-wearing gloves too), cleaning the restrooms, as porters at the bus and train stations and as janitors. They originally came to Oregon to work in the shipyards during WWII and a great many of them lived in a community NE of the city called Vanport. It flooded in 1946 (I was a mere babe, you know) and from there they moved to the north area of Portland. Due to corrupt banking and real estate manipulations, they were held in a very small neighborhood. It is still there today. So sad...we have not come as far as we think in that regard.
Didn't mean to rant.
Good Morning All!
ReplyDeleteYeh this was a ripper crossword. I am somewhat of a newbie to crosswords, so I try to attack them while restraining myself using other resources. I stumbled on this one though and had to look up a few. I finished in 46 minutes though so not too bad. It is always the twisted clues that stump me. I think I am a right brain kind of person.
I thought I should share this as well since, hey, we all can't get enough crosswords in our system. Anyway this site has the cheapestLA Times Crossword books I have seen around.
I usually don't even attempt the Saturday puzzles, but read the comments. So, when the first thing that came up today was C.C.'s interview with the very young and talented Will Nediger, I thought WTH. Started out hitting the g-spot right away with Aaron Sorkin which help immensely as I got most of the down fills from there. Favorite clue was "fast growing pet" - Chia. "I declare" reminded me somehow about Gone with the Wind, or my Mom, who BTW is my avatar today. As you can see, the nut didn't fall far from the tree curly hair and all except I inherited a little something "up top" from my granny. My favorite Denzel Washington movie was "Philadelphia".
ReplyDeleteC.C. my favorite yam recipe is simple...bake like a potato, slather in butter, salt and pepper.
Spitzboov, I forgot...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
ReplyDeleteCrockett, may you and the Missus enjoy as many years together as my parents have. I only wish this Jeannie could blink her eyes and be seated at the table with my other sibs tonight.
Jeannie said: my favorite yam recipe is simple...bake like a potato, slather in butter, salt and pepper.
ReplyDeleteYep, simple and good. You could sprinkle a little brown sugar in to fancy it up if you wanted to.
BillG, my other favorite is to peel a couple and cut it into chunks and roll them in olive oil, minced garlic, brown sugar and add my favorite dried herbs: thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Roast in a hot oven (400) for about 35-40min. Scrumptious.
ReplyDeleteI just talked to one of my sibs and I guess the dinner was a hit. She is the creative one of the bunch and took old photographs and had them made into placemats. She promises to send me pics later this week for me to share.
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteWarren -
Belated happy birthday.
Spitzboov -
Froeliche Geburtstag, right on time.
I'm, not surprised Will is Canadian, but I am quite surprised he's a teenager. Very sophisticated construction, and many items from long before he was born.
Did the puzzle in the car on the way to T-town. Asked the LW if she know what was the Oscar winning best song from the year before she was born.
She didn't.
She did no KOHL, though.
I really thought this one was going to be hopeless, but actually got it all - except for DAISES and DAUNT,probably in a little over an hour. Typical Saturday process for me, from despair to a few answers to slow build, finally to completion, or something close, with a lot of slogging and perp help.
Sorkin is a total unknown to me. The other long ans. were attainable with the letters slowly accumulating, then a big leap of fill.
I was very reluctant to enter JEW, for the reason C.C. mentioned. And it does strike me as somehow inappropriate, the way it was clued. No, I can't explain it any better than that.
This is another puzzle that I like better in retrospect than I did while working it.
Had DECEASED for 28D, with enough right letters to cause a real problem.
C.C
A TUTEE would be in a class by herself because a TUTOR usually works with students one-on-one.
Long day. I'm tired.
Cheers!
JzB the DAUNTED trombonist
Inez: Welcome to this Merrye Bande of Crossworde Bloggers. Hope you visit often.
ReplyDeleteThank you and C.C. and the others for the generous birthday felicitations. They were much appreciated and added to the joy of a wonderful day.
And now, to adjourn to a special treat of Rare Vos, a Belgian style beer, brewed in Cooperstown, near us.
Hi.
ReplyDeleteI'm stuck on the movie since there
is no one left to ask. Was also 7 in 1946.
I think it was Kazie and I who were talking about red cabbage.
For some reason, PbS metallurgy was
on the Q & Q final at U of Pitt.
Paprika also good on baked potatoes.
eddyB
Jeannie, if I'm not being too personal, it seems as if you really wanted to be with your family, with your sibs and parents. How come you weren't able to?
ReplyDeleteJZ, I think C.C. was wondering why the constructor chose the clue for TUTEE to be herself rather than himself.
As long as Jew isn't being used in a pejorative way, I don't think Jews object to it.
Welcome Inez, hope you join in more often now that you know we are here. Most of us found this site accidentally when researching a word for the day's c/w.
ReplyDeleteCrockett, anniversaries should be celebrated even more than our b'days. Hugs to you both.
Luke, thanks for the "Super Cheap" site.I like to do extra puzzles when we travel.
I also loved the movie and music of "Song of the South". I also loved the book Little Black Sambo, but as a child we did not see black or white. It is the adults in our lives that make us see what they see.
Eddy, what is your question? Did you try to Google it?
ReplyDeleteBill G--I turn off my computer at night, and it doesn't seem to bother the Automatic Identity. However, every once in a while, that disappears and I have to refresh my account. Google is hard to understand at times. I just go with the flow.
ReplyDeleteI admire Will Nediger for using the word JEW in an appropriate context.
ReplyDeleteOccasionally someone will ask what church a person attends. I had an aunt, my father's sister, who took some pleasure in informing any asker that she was a Jewess. Not only was it true, she also wanted people to know that it was something of which she was proud. Even more, she wanted to know, face to face, who was made uncomfortable by her use of the word.
If someone feels that there might be a negative tone to the word JEW, they might also ask themselves if they feel the same discomfort about the words "Christian", or "Hindu". Recognition that JEW has be used as a pejorative indicates that you have heard it used that way and that has somehow helped to form your opinion about its use.
Disney should not release the movie in any format until we can learn to live together. The public display of some at the tea baggers rally. I have no problem if they want to protest . But spitting on African American members of Congress and calling them the N word should not be tolerated and I think it's time that those who do those things should be arrested. Spitting on someone is assault.
ReplyDeleteAnon 11:07, I understand your POV except none of that (in my opinion) has anything to do with Disney and this well-intentioned movie.
ReplyDeleteSpitzboov: Happy , Happy Birthday month
ReplyDeleteCrockett, Happy Anniversary and many more.
I do not consider Jew a pejorative; I am Jew and happy about my situation. CA, when the Jews have been persecuted, no one cared if it was the mother or father who was Jewish, nor did they care if you attended services regularly.
Inez, Luke welcome to the the crazy crossword corner, please contribute freely.
AL, among the great things about puzzling is the learning; I also was unfamiliar with the term CATKIN.
VTQUILTMOM, g8rmomx2 REDSTATE and GRACIE nice to see you back. Lois even if you were on hiatus we thought and talked about you daily.
Jeannie, love the mom pic. Nice job
Now if we could only find our other invisible people....
Hi, everyone:
ReplyDeleteIt's still early for me, but really late for some of you. I just had the best time looking at you all! It's a slow Sat. night and nothing good on TV, so I looked at the blog photos. It is so great seeing you and your families! I have come to feel so close to all of you these past weeks. It was lovely to see your family pictures and your families. Thanks for sharing and good night.
Well, I''m back to nobody again. I haven't signed out since early on because of this same thing. At least now I know how to get back in.
ReplyDeleteI just watched a great film about crosswording called 'Wordplay'. Have you already discussed this before I entered the scene? It was made in 2008 and Will Shortz is the narrator. It's all about the annual Crossword Tournament in Stamford. If you haven't seen it I think you'd all enjoy it.
Eddy B. Can you translate the following:'For some reason, PbS metallurgy was on the Q & Q final at U of Pitt'? I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about.
Cruciverb is back up, but not up to date yet... In the meantime, Fredricksburg.com has the LAT puzzle up at 11 PM Central, two hours later than Cruciverb, but two hours earlier than the LA Times. It's not in Across Lite format, though.
ReplyDeleteLemonade, right you are. I was told from a very early age, "If you'd been born in Germany (or Austria or Poland)..." Disturbing for a five or six year old, but my parents didn't pull any punches. As you know, I was referring to the "official rules".
ReplyDeleteDodo, LOL
Jeannie, lovely photo of your mother.
That's five and out for me.
45A - The constructor is a college student, and obviously very intelligent. Maybe he's paying homage to a female coed that he's tutoring...
ReplyDeleteDidn't they also play "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" at the start of the "Wonderful World of Disney" on Sunday nights?
Lois: Welcome back! My favorite Denzel Washington movie is "Antwone Fisher" too. I thought the movie was so well done, and the guy who played him was so cute. The real Antwone must be a helluva man!
Happy birthday, Spitzboov!
Bees seem to be doing well here - of course, since I'm scared to death of them, wasps and hornets! I don't think I'm allergic though, just scared... I used a whole can of Sure Shot to drench a wasp nest the size of a quarter from about 8 feet away, but I'm still afraid to knock it down. Does anyone know if others will find and inhabit it later if I just left it there...?
The shade of eyeliner I wear is Kohl, so it came pretty quickly to me. And I honored the puzzle by going shopping at Kohl's department store this afternoon. :-)
The film has never been released in its entirety on home video in the USA because of content which Disney executives believe would be construed by some as racially insensitive towards blacks and is thus subject to much rumor. Some portions of this film have been issued on VHS and DVD as part of either compilations or special editions of Disney films.
ReplyDeleteDespite rumors of a forthcoming DVD release, Disney CEO Robert Iger stated on March 10, 2006 at a Disney Shareholder Meeting that it had been decided that the company would not re-release it for the time being. At the annual shareholders meeting in March 2007, Iger announced that the company was reconsidering the decision, and have decided to look into the possibility of releasing the film. In May 2007, it was again reported that the Disney company has chosen not to release the film. However, rumors to the contrary continue to surface.
"Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay / Negroes are inferior in every way" and "Whites are much cleaner, that's what I say."
Yea Bill a well intentioned movie that would serve to ignite a race war just like movies in Germany that blamed the Jewish people for all the problems in the German nation. Those films are called passion plays.
The board has made the right decision by not releasing the movie. It should never be released.